TCM in April: Highlights

April is a big month for Turner Classic Movies, as the annual TCM Classic Film Festival begins in Hollywood on April 30th.

And leading up to that, there's a great month ahead on TCM, with Sophia Loren as the April Star of the Month.

Loren's films will be shown on Monday evenings beginning April 6th.

17 of Loren's films will be shown, along with her LIVE FROM THE TCM CLASSIC FILM FESTIVAL (2016) interview. It's hard to believe it's been over a decade since I saw her introduce MARRIAGE ITALIAN STYLE (1964) at the festival.

The April Noir Alley films will be T-MEN (1948) on the 4th and 5th, BAD BLONDE (1953) on the 11th and 12th, HIS KIND OF WOMAN (1951) April 18th-19th, and 711 OCEAN DRIVE (1950) on April 25th and 26th. All three of the films I've reviewed are very worthwhile; 711 OCEAN DRIVE is seen here on location in Palm Springs. BAD BLONDE is a TCM premiere.

Below are a few more of this month's highlights. Please click any hyperlinked title to read an extended review.

...One more great day of George Brent films on April 1st leads into an evening celebrating Doris Day, including one of my all-time favorite Day films, CALAMITY JANE (1953).  Day and Howard Keel are well matched, and it has a wonderfully bouncy score.  And coincidentally, I saw it at the 2015 TCM Classic Film Festival the very same day I saw Sophia Loren.

...There's a great lineup of minor World War II spy films on April 2nd, including titles like SECRET ENEMIES (1942), ACTION IN ARABIA (1944), BACKGROUND TO DANGER (1943), ABOVE SUSPICION (1943), and ASSIGNMENT IN BRITTANY (1943). I couldn't resist listing several of the day's films; all have great casts and are highly watchable.

...A prime time tribute to Roger Corman on April 3rd includes the Western FIVE GUNS WEST (1955) starring John Lund and Dorothy Malone. I've never seen it, and it sounds like my kind of movie!

...The varied lineup on April 4th includes a very enjoyable Jane Powell musical, LUXURY LINER (1948), costarring George Brent. A fun bit of trivia is that Brent also starred in an related 1933 film with the very same name.

...TCM can happily be counted on to show EASTER PARADE (1948) on Easter Sunday, and this year is no exception!

...Only on TCM: Monday, April 6th, will feature seven of MGM's Andy Hardy movie series. Mickey Rooney's leading ladies in these films include Kathryn Grayson and Bonita Granville.

...April 7th features Leonard and Jessie Maltin's new book, FAMILY MOVIE NIGHT MENUS, and some of the movies in the book, including MEET ME IN ST. LOUIS (1944).

...I really like IMPACT (1949), which stars Ella Raines and Brian Donlevy, airing on April 8th as part of a day of murder mysteries.

...More mysteries are afoot on April 9th, including one of my very favorite "comfort watches," GREEN FOR DANGER (1946). It's a marvelous film, set at a British country hospital during WWII, and has been enjoyed by me many times over the years. Alastair Sim leads a marvelous cast.

...The Musical Matinee on April 11th is MGM's KISMET (1955), starring Howard Keel, Ann Blyth, and Vic Damone. It's a film I've very much come to appreciate over the years.

...Margaret Lockwood is THE WICKED LADY (1945) on April 12th. James Mason and Patricia Roc costar.

...April 13th features one of my favorite little-known musicals, PAINTING THE CLOUDS WITH SUNSHINE (1951), starring Virginia Mayo, Dennis Morgan, and Gene Nelson. When I first saw it I termed it "a delightful surprise."

...There's a memorial tribute to June Lockhart on April 14th. It includes SON OF LASSIE (1945), MEET ME IN ST. LOUIS (1944), and ALL THIS, AND HEAVEN TOO (1940). I had the pleasure of seeing the latter film at the 2025 TCM Classic Film Festival. It's a wonderful costume melodrama, with June as Charles Boyer's oldest daughter.

...April 15th features films from the Brass Bancroft series starring Ronald Reagan, the Nancy Drew series starring Bonita Granville, and the Gildersleeve series starring Harold Peary. A very fun day of 11 short movies. My four Bass Bancroft reviews may be found here (scroll to the end of the review for links to reviews of the others in the series).

...A day of movies about twins on April 16th includes identical twins Lyn and Lee Wilde in the fun TWICE BLESSED (1945).

...April 18th includes Bogart and Bacall in TO HAVE AND HAVE NOT (1944), which I'll be seeing theatrically at this month's Noir City Hollywood Festival, and EXPERIMENT PERILOUS (1944) with Hedy Lamarr and George Brent, which I saw at the 2010 festival. Time flies!

...TCM features the channel's premieres of three Blondie films on April 19th: LIFE WITH BLONDIE (1945), BLONDIE'S LUCKY DAY (19460, and BLONDIE IN THE DOUGH (1947).

...Who could turn down an evening of Kay Francis movies? There are seven of them on April 21st, including the fun MAN WANTED (1932) and the moving melodrama GIVE ME YOUR HEART (1936), the latter of which costars Francis's frequent leading man, George Brent.

...We go from Kay Francis on the 21st to another favorite, Claire Trevor, on April 22nd. Eight Trevor films will be shown, including several all-time classics, including BORN TO KILL (1947) and STAGECOACH (1939).

...The excellent director Frank Borzage worked with Kay Francis and George Brent on LIVING ON VELVET (1935), which airs April 23rd.

...The Paramount Pictures comedy MURDER, HE SAYS (1945) receives a fairly rare TCM showing on Saturday, April 25th. This film starring Fred MacMurray, Helen Walker, and Marjorie Main isn't a favorite of mine, but I know many people are fans, so I wanted to mention it given that it's rarely seen on TCM.

...GIRL SHY (1924), starring Harold Lloyd and Jobyna Ralston, is probably my favorite of the many Harold Lloyd films I've enjoyed. Do watch it! It's on late on April 26th.

...THE HARVEY GIRLS (1946), with Judy Garland and a marvelous cast, never fails to entertain. It's part of a day of MGM musicals with Western settings on April 27th.

...One of my favorite minor '40s crime movies, CRIMINAL COURT (1946), is on April 29th. It stars Tom Conway and Martha O'Driscoll, directed by Robert Wise.

...April wraps up on April 30th with a birthday tribute to Eve Arden, including the classic STAGE DOOR (1937), where Arden is memorable as a boarding house resident who's frequently seen in the company of a white cat.

For more on TCM in April 2026, please visit my Quick Preview of TCM in April and TCM's online schedule.

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Tonight's Movie: It All Came True (1940) - A Warner Archive Blu-ray Review

The Runyonesque Warner Bros. comedy-drama IT ALL CAME TRUE (1940) will be released on Blu-ray this week by the Warner Archive Collection.

Humphrey Bogart stars as gangster Chips Maguire, who has just shot someone and needs a place to hide out.

The place he finds is a boarding house owned by the mother (Jessie Busley) of a pianist Chips employs, Tommy Taylor (Jeffrey Lynn).

Chips goes stir crazy not being able to leave the house, but the lovely presence of Tommy's lifelong friend Sarah Jane (Ann Sheridan) brightens things up.

Before he knows what's happened to him, Chips (now known as "Mr. Grasselli") is adopted by the wacky boarding house residents; they befriend him, and in turn he changes their lives for the better.

The movie would have been equally well titled as "Angel in Disguise," one of the movie's songs. Although he's definitely a killer, Chips also proves to have a soft side as he deals with his elderly "neighbors." He's of particular help finding a way to keep the boarding house from being lost to unpaid taxes: He turns it into an exclusive nightclub!

The movie's tone reminded me a bit of a Bogart film from just a couple years later, ALL THROUGH THE NIGHT (1942), in which a bunch of good-hearted gangsters battle the Nazis.

Both these early '40s Bogart films were distinguised by stellar supporting casts; the faces in IT ALL CAME TRUE include Zasu Pitts, Una O'Connor, Grant Mitchell, Felix Bressart, Howard Hickman, and John Litel.

While I wouldn't call IT ALL CAME TRUE a classic, it proved to be an enjoyable 97 minutes. Although I think some of the sequences with the boarding house folks "entertaining" went on too long, it was a good-natured, pleasant film which I enjoyed seeing for the first time. It was a nice way to while away a Sunday afternoon.

IT ALL CAME TRUE's screenplay was written by Michael Fessier and Lawrence Kimble from the novel BETTER THAN LIFE by Louis Bromfield; writer and future director Delmer Daves contributed to treatment.

The movie was directed by Lewis Seiler and filmed in black and white by Ernie Haller.

The Warner Archive print is from a 1080p HD master from a 4K scan of the original nitrate camera negative. It looks and sounds great.

Fairly minimal extras consist of the trailer plus a pair of cartoons, CIRCUS TODAY (1940) and THE SOUR PUSS (1940).

Thanks to the Warner Archive for providing a review copy of this Blu-ray. Warner Archive Blu-rays may be ordered from Movie Zyng, Amazon, and other online retailers.

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Tonight's Movie: The Johnstown Flood (1926) at Cinecon

Everything I saw at the Cinecon Pop-Up Day earlier this month was worthwhile, but I especially enjoyed THE JOHNSTOWN FLOOD (1926).

It was a 66-minute silent film which deftly melded drama with disaster, including impressive special effects by Jack Smith.

The restored print, with beautiful color tints, had live accompaniment by Jon Mirsalis, making for an outstanding viewing experience.

The movie teamed favorite George O'Brien with Janet Gaynor, a year ahead of their all-time classic SUNRISE (1927). The movie also starred charming Florence Gilbert.

O'Brien plays Tom O'Day, an engineer at a logging camp in Johnstown, Pennsylvania.

Tom warns the logging camp's owner, John Hamilton (Anders Randolf), that the dam is likely to flood once the rains come. This causes conflict with his employer, which is especially awkward as Tom loves Hamilton's niece and ward, Gloria (Gilbert).

While Tom loves Gloria, Anna (Gaynor), daughter of a logging camp employee (Paul Panzer), pines for Tom from afar.

On Tom and Gloria's wedding day, a sudden cloudburst signals the start of unprecedented disaster...

THE JOHNSTOWN FLOOD was a well-constructed, well-performed film which I liked a great deal.

O'Brien and Gilbert are a lovely, likeable couple, while Gaynor milks the pathos as only she can, mooning over the man who is not destined to be hers. 

I've seen O'Brien and Gaynor in a significant number of films but am not sure I'd previously seen Gilbert in anything. I liked her very much and was interested to learn she was once married to TARZAN author Edgar Rice Burroughs.

I had been a bit nervous that the flood sequence would be disturbing, but while it's certainly very dramatic, I didn't find it difficult to watch. I was also fascinated by the unusual use of huge capital letters on the narrative cards to convey urgency: "THE DAM! RUN!"

Look for a very young Carole Lombard as one of Gloria's friends. Clark Gable and Gary Cooper are said to have had bit parts, but I didn't spot them.

THE JOHNSTOWN FLOOD was directed by Irving Cummings from a story by Edfrid A. Bingham and Robert Lord. It was filmed by George Schneiderman. The film utilized Northern California locations including Soquel, Santa Cruz, Groveland, and Yosemite.

The restored print is available on Blu-ray.

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Tonight's Movie: Artists and Models (1937) - A Kino Lorber Blu-ray Review

Earlier this month I very much enjoyed Jack Benny in the comedy MAN ABOUT TOWN (1939), which is part of a new two-film set of Paramount Pictures films from Kino Lorber Studio Classics.

Alas, I cannot say I felt the same about the other movie in the set, ARTISTS AND MODELS (1937).

ARTISTS AND MODELS is a confusing, nearly plotless mishmash in which Benny plays Mac Brewster. Mac's struggling ad agency will be rescued by a new account in which he finds the "Townsend Girl" to advertise silver for a company owned by wealthy Alan Townsend (Richard Arlen).

The new "Townsend Girl" will also be featured as queen at an Artists and Models Ball.

Paula Sewell (Ida Lupino) and Cynthia Wentworth (Gail Patrick) are both competing to be the Townsend Girl, and somehow they also each end up engaged to Mac...while Alan loves Paula.

That's pretty much the plot, such as it is. What makes the movie hard to follow is an endless stream of disconnected musical numbers performed by the likes of Judy Canova, Ben Blue, and Connee Boswell (billed Connie).

The songs are simply dropped into the middle of the story in rather bizarre ways. They don't advance the action or, in some cases, appear as part of a show performance. An opening number is particularly annoying as it provides no understanding of the plot and essentially delays the start of the movie. It makes one wonder who at the studio was watching the footage and thought they were turning out a good film.

The one really good number, "Public Melody Number One," features Martha Raye and Louis Armstrong. Raye performs in blackface, as was common in the era, but otherwise the number stands out as quite stylishly presented. I gasped "No wonder!" upon learning that this lone number was staged by the great Vincente Minnelli.

Otherwise the beautiful Patrick is quite cute in her pursuit of Benny, and they're charming together, but despite a great cast that's about all there is to the movie. It's a rather long 97 minutes.

ARTISTS AND MODELS was directed by Raoul Walsh, which I found rather fascinating. It was filmed in black and white by Victor Milner. There were too many screenplay contributors to name.

The Kino Lorber Blu-ray print is from a new HD master from a 2K scan of the 35mm fine grain. It looks excellent, with good sound quality.

Extras consist of a commentary track by Eddy Von Mueller; the trailer, newly mastered in 2K; and the nine-film trailer gallery previously mentioned in my review of MAN ABOUT TOWN.

As always, I'm glad to have the chance to see even an iffy movie in the best condition possible and appreciate Kino Lorber making it possible.

I recommend getting this collection for MAN ABOUT TOWN, which I thought was quite fun, and perhaps simply considering that ARTISTS AND MODELS is an extra. If nothing else, it's worth seeing for Louis Armstrong and the early work of one of the great musical directors, Vincente Minnelli.

Thanks to Kino Lorber for providing a copy of this Blu-ray collection.

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Tonight's Movie: Touchez Pas Au Grisbi (1954)

In recent months I've been very much enjoying French film noir and crime films, mainly due to new releases from Kino Lorber Studio Classics.

I've been meaning to catch up with TOUCHEZ PAS AU GRISBI (1954), roughly translated as DON'T TOUCH THE LOOT, for a number of years, and happily it's also available on Blu-ray from Kino Lorber.  I purchased this disc some time ago and am very glad I did.

I first became aware of this film when it was co-introduced on Turner Classic Movies in 2012 by my late friend Gina Neylon, also known by her online handle as Moira Finnie. At that time I wasn't particularly interested in foreign films, but that has happily changed over the years and my viewing has widened considerably.

I've become a great admirer of the French heist film RIFIFI (1955), and I saw some parallels between that movie and TOUCHEZ PAS AU GRISBI, which came out a year ahead of RIFIFI.

Each film travels a path from the mundane and quiet -- very literally, in terms of RIFIFI's heist sequence -- to a woman learning critical information which in turn leads to a violent, gripping climax.

In TOUCHEZ PAS AU GRISBI Max (Jean Gabin) and his longtime friend and partner in crime Riton (Rene Dary) have pulled off a major gold heist, but this only becomes clear to slowly. Max and Riton were so successful not even their friends know they were behind the job.

While waiting for things to calm down so they can unload their loot, Max and Riton spend time in a restaurant frequented by gangsters, run by Madame Bouche (Denise Clair), and while away time with showgirls (Dora Doll and Jeanne Moreau); in Max's case, he also has a glamous slightly older mistress (Marilyn Bufferd) waiting in the wings.

That said, Max and Riton are getting on in years; Max is ready to retire and lead a more relaxed life, and he's also concerned for his friend, having learned Riton's mistress Josy (Moreau) is unfaithful.

Josy picks up the info that Max and Riton are sitting on something big, prompting gangster Angelo (Lino Ventura) to kidnap Riton, calculating that Max is so loyal to Riton that he will trade his ill-gotten stash for his friend...

This is almost a "gangster procedural," spending much of the film focused on things such as how to stash loot, keep a safe house, and fence ill-gotten goods. Then suddenly it shifts gears into a literally explosive finale using weapons stashed away since the Occupation.

Having now seen him in several films, I've been trying to put my finger on what makes Jean Gabin so interesting. His looks are fairly ordinary and he's anything but flamboyant, yet he commands attention. There's a certain confidence to his performances, especially here, including the sense that his characters know a great deal and have deep inner thoughts. In fact, we're actually exposed to Max's thinking late in this film, as he philosophically contemplates the trouble his dear friend has caused.

Gabin's Max is admirable in many ways, particularly in his loyalty to his friends. I enjoyed watching the way he helps and guides the younger Marco (Michel Jourdan), paying his restaurant tab, finding him work, then inviting him along on mission to reclaim Riton, with the warning it will be a rough job.

At the same time, Max and friends are uncouth and disrespectful with women of a "certain kind." A particular "grabby" moment Max engages in backstage at a nightclub was rather shocking, given that we would never see anything like it in a U.S. film of this era. On the other hand, the older ladies of Max's circle, who have proven their worth, receive his trust and appreciation.

The entire cast is outstanding, with Ventura's double-crossing gangster and Moreau's beautiful, sassy (and drug-addicted) Josy making particularly strong impressions.

TOUCHEZ PAS AU GRISBI is engaging for all of its 96 minutes. (As a side note, Kino Lorber's box has a typo indicated the film is 86 minutes.)

TOUCHEZ PAS AU GRISBI was directed by Jacques Becker. It was filmed in black and white by Pierre Montazel and looks absolutely beautiful.

Kino Lorber's Blu-ray has a commentary track by Nick Pinkerton along with a couple of interviews, the trailer, and a gallery for five additional trailers for other films available form Kino Lorber.

TOUCHEZ PAS AU GRISBI is a film I will definitely be returning to in the future. Very much recommended.

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Cowboy Exhibits at The Autry and the Reagan Library

This month's Classic Movie Hub Western RoundUp column takes a look at two different museum exhibits on cowboys which I've visited in recent months.

The first exhibit, on black cowboys, was seen at The Autry Museum of the American West, and the second, Cowboys: History & Hollywood, was at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library & Musem.

The column is jam-packed with photos of each exhibit's displays of interesting posters, props, and costumes from Westerns.

Please click over to Classic Movie Hub to check it out, and thanks very much for reading!

Previous Classic Movie Hub Western RoundUp Column Links: June 2018; July 2018; August 2018; September 2018; October 2018; November 2018; December 2018; January 2019; February 2019; April 5, 2019; April 30, 2019; May 2019; June 2019; July 2019; August 2019; September 2019; October 2019; November 2019; December 2019; January 2020; February 2020; March 2020; April 2020; May 2020; June 2020; July 2020; August 2020; September 2020; October 2020; November 2020; December 2020; January 2021; February 2021; March 2021; May 2021; June 2021; June 2021 (No. 2); July 2021; August 2021; September 2021; November 2021; December 2021; December 2021 (No. 2); January 2022; February 2022; March 2022; April 2022; May 2022; June 2022; July 2022; August 2022; September 2022; November 2022; November 2022 (No. 2); January 2023 (No. 1); January 2023 (No. 2); March 2023; April 2023; May 2023 (No. 1); May 2023 (No. 2); June 2023; July 2023; September 2023; September 2023 (No. 2); October 2023; November 2023; December 2023; January 2024; February 2024; March 2024; April 2024; May 2024; June 2024; July 2024; August 2024; September 2024; October 2024; November 2024; December 2024; January 2025; February 2025; March 2025; April 2025; May 2025; June 2025; July 2025; August 2025; September 2025; October 2025; November 2025; January 2026 (No. 1); January 2026 (No. 2); February 2026.

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Around the Blogosphere This Week

Miscellaneous bits of news and fun stuff from around the Internet...

...Great news from Kino Lorber Studio Classics: THE MAVERICK QUEEN (1955), starring Barbara Stanwyck and Barry Sullivan, is "coming soon" to Blu-ray. The movie had a VHS release but to my knowledge never came out on DVD. It's described as a "brand-new HD master by Paramount Preservation from a 4K scan of the 35mm Trucolor negative." I'm very happy to hear about this!

...Last month Kino Lorber announced a Brit Noir Collection I Blu-ray set, which is due out May 26th. Kino Lorber has now announced a Brit Noir Collection II set coming in June. The titles are HOME AT SEVEN (1952), also known as MURDER ON MONDAY; THE INTRUDER (1953); and THE LONG ARM (1956), aka THE THIRD KEY. Jack Hawkins stars in all three films.

...Netflix is raising prices again.

...The Criterion Channel's April streaming lineup includes "Corporate Thrillers" and "Three Noirs by Jacques Tourneur."

...CHARADE (1963) might be the first Criterion Collection Blu-ray in my collection. It's now available on Blu-ray.

...From Leonard Maltin: "Catching Up With Blu-rays."

...Coming for fall cookbook season: FOODS OF LA FRONTERA by Pati Jinich for Harper Collins and HAVE YOU EATEN YET? FAMILY RECIPES FROM A RESTAURANT DAUGHTER by actress Ming-Na Wen for Simon & Schuster.

...The long-running CBS series NCIS has hit 500 episodes.

...Coming in September from actress-author Illeana Douglas for Lyons Press: JUNGLE RED! THE MAKING OF MGM'S THE WOMEN. Douglas previously wrote CONNECTICUT IN THE MOVIES and I BLAME DENNIS HOPPER.

...There's also a book on THE WOMEN in the works by Alison Macor, author of MAKING THE BEST YEARS OF OUR LIVES, from the University of Texas Press.

...I revisited Tyrone Power in THE LUCK OF THE IRISH (1948) for St. Patrick's Day and thoroughly enjoyed it!

...Donna Reed's former Palm Springs home, which she owned from 1955 to 1966, is on the market.

...Reviews I've enjoyed in the last few days include a look at I'VE ALWAYS LOVED YOU (1946) by Jessica Pickens for Comet Over Hollywood...Colin has reviewed MIRAGE (1965) at Riding the High Country...CineSavant Glenn Erickson has reviewed THE VERDICT (1946) from the Warner Archive Collection and CLASSE TOUS RISQUES (1960), aka THE BIG RISK, from the Criterion Collection. I just ordered the latter film, starring Lino Ventura, from a Criterion Collection 24-hour half-price sale last week...Kristina has written about a big favorite, THE NARROW MARGIN (1952), for her blog Speakeasy.

...Thanks to Aventuras de Tom Tyler for sharing my Classic Movie Hub review of the two-film Tom Tyler Blu-ray set!

...Henry C. Parke has covered the Cowboys exhibit at the Reagan Presidential Library for True West...look for my article and photos coming soon to my Classic Movie Hub Western RoundUp column! (Update: Here's the link to my column.)

...My favorite Los Angeles French Dip restaurant, Philippe's, is getting rid of sawdust on the floor.  The change, after over a century, is for insurance reasons.

...A reminder that the Warner Archive Collection Blu-ray sale at Movie Zyng continues through Tuesday, March 31st. A number of additional titles have just been added to the sale.

...Notable Passings: The legendary Chuck Norris passed away at 86...Actress Judy Pace, remembered by me as Linda Sayers in BRIAN'S SONG (1971), has passed on at 83...Actress Valerine Perrine, always remembered by many of us as Miss Teschmacher in SUPERMAN (1978), seen here in a still, died at 82...Hanna-Barbera composer Ted Nichols has died at 97...Actor Ed Bernard (POLICE WOMAN, THE WHITE SHADOW) has passed at 86...Western character actor Matt Clark has passed on at 89...Character actor James Tolkan, memorable in the original TOP GUN (1986), has died at 94. He uttered the memorable line to Tom Cruise, "Son, your ego is writing checks your body can't cash"...Michael S. Rosenwald has written a lovely tribute to film historian and locations sleuth John Bengtson, published in The New York Times.

...For additional recent links of interest to classic film fans, please visit my March 14th column.

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Tonight's Movie: The Gay Divorcee (1934) - A Warner Archive Blu-ray Review

Some films are like old friends, welcome each and every time you see them, and such is the case with THE GAY DIVORCEE (1934).

I grew up watching Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers in THE GAY DIVORCEE with my mother on local television. As a teenager I saw it theatrically at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art's Bing Theater, and after a few decades was able to see it on a big screen again at the 2022 TCM Classic Film Festival.

Of course, I also owned it on DVD, which enabled me to share the movie with my own children. And now I've happily revisited it again thanks to the beautiful new Warner Archive Collection Blu-ray which will be officially released next week, on March 31, 2026.

The plot, from a story and screenplay concocted by a host of writers -- in turn based on a play -- is a lightweight trifle about Mimi (Rogers), who plans to engineer a divorce from her husband (William Austin) by using a paid "co-respondent," Rodolfo Tonetti (Erik Rhodes). Tonetti and Mimi will fake infidelity in order to force her husband's hand to agree to a divorce.

Mimi mistakes Guy (Astaire), a dancer she'd met on a ship, for Tonetti, and oh my, do things get complicated, in the funniest ways.

The plot really doesn't matter a whole lot; as a child I found it a little confusing, with parts of the story sailing right over my head, but I still loved the movie.

What matters is Fred, Ginger, the giddy character actors (Eric Blore! Edward Everett Horton! Alice Brady!), the gorgeous Art Deco sets, the Walter Plunkett gowns, the music, and the dances. Oh, the dances!

The numbers are all enjoyable, but the climactic "The Continental" is especially beautiful to watch; Fred and Ginger have their big dance, and then there's a marvelous extended sequence with the chorus, whose black and white costumes swirl as they dance in Berkeley-esque patterns.

I've always wondered why Ginger, who begins the lengthy number with a song, doesn't return to sing again later in the number; instead a completely different singer, Lillian Miles, jumps into the action. That part is a little strange, but since Guy and Mimi were hiding from Tonetti around that time, maybe that's the excuse.

But no matter, the entire "Continental" is simply spectacular. There's also the "Night and Day" dance duet, and Fred has a couple solos, including "A Needle in a Haystack," spread over the film. Horton has a fun comedic dance number with Betty Grable, who would also turn up in Fred and Ginger's FOLLOW THE FLEET (1936) a couple years later.

THE GAY DIVORCEE runs 107 sprightly minutes. It was directed by Mark Sandrich and filmed in black and white by David Abel.

The Warner Archive Blu-ray print is from a 1080p HD master from a 4K scan of the original nitrate camera negative. It looks great, particularly for a film of this vintage. Sound quality is also excellent.

Plentiful disc extras consist of the trailer; the cartoons I LIKE MOUNTAIN MUSIC (1933) and SHAKE YOUR POWDER PUFF (1934); the 21-minute short ART TROUBLE (1934) and the 32-minute short MASKS AND MEMORIES (1934), which stars Lillian Roth; a radio promo broadcast along with a 28-minute Screen Guild Playhouse radio production from 1944 starring Frank Sinatra, Gloria DeHaven, and Edward Everett Horton; and a song selection menu for quick access to the musical numbers.

THE GAY DIVORCEE is a must for anyone who loves classic films.

Previous reviews of Astaire-Rogers films: FLYING DOWN TO RIO (1933), SWING TIME (1936), SHALL WE DANCE (1937).

Thanks to the Warner Archive for providing a review copy of this Blu-ray. Warner Archive Blu-rays may be ordered from Movie Zyng, Amazon, and other online retailers.

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Warner Archive 17th Anniversary Sale

A heads up for fans of the Warner Archive Collection!

A Warner Archive 17th anniversary sale began today at the Movie Zyng store and will run through March 31st.

The sale offers four Blu-rays for $54 with the checkout code ARCHIVE17.

Additional Blu-rays are also $13.50 each.

Over 600 Warner Archive titles are part of the sale.

It's hard to believe 17 years have passed since the first announcement of the Warner Archive Collection. Happy movie shopping!

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Tonight's Movie: Night Time in Nevada (1948) at Cinecon

One of the special screenings at the Cinecon Pop-Up Day was the world premiere of a restoration of Roy Rogers' NIGHT TIME IN NEVADA (1948).

This was very exciting, as many of Roy's movies were edited for television and the original prints weren't preserved. The print typically available of this film runs 56 minutes.

Paramount was able to put this film back together by combining a Trucolor print with a black and white print found in Great Britain. The print we watched randomly shifted back and forth from color to black and white, but all 67 minutes were there, looking great, and it was a delight to be able to see it.

Ran Farrell (Grant Withers) deliberately kills his gold-mining partner, Jim Andrews (James Nolan), wanting their big strike all to himself -- only to learn the expected gold isn't in the mine after all.

Years later Ran is rustling cattle when his daughter Joan (Adele Mara) shows up with her friend Toni (Marie Harmon) looking for information on her father. Ran conspires with a lawyer (George Carleton) to do Joan out of some money she should inherit.

Meanwhile Roy Rogers (himself) and lawman Cookie Bullfincher (Andy Devine) are trying to solve the cattle rustling, aided by a group of cowhands (the Sons of the Pioneers).

Multiple murders aside, this is your typical fun Roy Rogers film, buoyed by a solid supporting cast with appealing actors. Adele Mara is a favorite Republic Pictures leading lady, and I enjoyed the chance to see her in this. Devine is congenial and Withers almost surprisingly evil, murdering at least three characters over the course of the film. 

There's also good stuntwork by Joe Yrigoyen, who did some notable "B" Western stunts in the '40s, including jumping a horse over a car in a Gene Autry film.

I especially loved the music and was a bit misty-eyed over the scenes where the Sons of the Pioneers sang. Both my late parents were fans, so I naturally thought of them, and my father especially would have loved seeing this print.

It's a fun note of trivia that Grant Withers, the villain of the piece, would later marry Estelita Rodriguez, one of Roy's leading ladies. (It's also of interest that Withers had eloped with teenaged Loretta Young in 1930, a marriage which was quickly annulled.) Withers had appeared in a couple previous movies with both Roy Rogers and Adele Mara; he was also in numerous John Wayne films.

NIGHT TIME IN NEVADA was directed by William Witney. It was written by Sloan Nibley and filmed by Jack Marta. The exteriors were shot in the Victorville area.

Although poor edited VHS and DVD prints are available, hopefully this restored full-length edition will make it to DVD or Blu-ray at some point. I enjoyed it and would like to be able to watch it again someday.

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